The Croatian handball team secured a place in the World Championship grand final, after defeating the favored France 31:28 in front of their home fans tonight.
The Croatians’ incredible first half was decisive, in which they scored as many as 18 goals for the Tricolors, and after 30 minutes they were leading by a huge 18:11.
The French then returned to the game, but miraculously in the cavernous Zagreb Arena, from whose stands 15,200 spectators cheered the Croats tonight, the Tricolors could not.
Croatia opened the game well and took a 3:1 lead, after which France kept the lead, but then the home team’s cannonade followed!
In the middle of the half, Croatia completely lost its grip, because after a saved seven-meter shot by Kuzmanović, it went to 10:5, and that was the beginning of the end for the Tricolors.
After twenty minutes, Croatia went to +6, and at the end of the half they had an attack for a double-digit difference, but did not use it.
Then France reduced the deficit with two goals before going to the break, when it was 18:11.
France opened the second half better and Croatia’s advantage melted, to which the Tricolors approached with a four-goal deficit (19:15).
However, their neighbors soon consolidated and stopped the French surge.
A new French surge was seen just under fifteen minutes before the end, when they reduced it to 25:21, but then a goal by Martinović saved the Croats to return to a safe +5.
After that, the French caught up again and reduced the deficit to three goals, and in the end the key moment was when Karačić scored a goal at a time when the Croats were two players short and brought them to 29:25.
It ended 31:28. Zvonimir Srna and Marin Jelinić led the Croatians to victory with seven goals each, while Ivan Martinović added six, and Mateo Maraš scored four. Dominik Kuzmanović excelled and recorded 15 saves, including two seven-pointers.
Dika Mem was the best for France with eight goals while Ludovic Fabregas added four and Aymeric Minne finished the match with three goals. Remi Desbonnet had six saves and Charles Bolzinger had five saves.
In the final, the Croats are waiting for the better of tomorrow’s duel between Denmark and Portugal, which is scheduled for tomorrow in Oslo, where Sunday’s final will also be played, Klix.ba writes.
